Stephanie grabbed Bobby's hand and pulled him to the couch. They sat beside each other. She shifted to look at Bobby. "Thanks for coming with us. I can see being here is causing you some distress. Do you want to talk about it?" Stephanie asked.
"Not at the moment," Bobby replied. Bobby didn't want to burden Stephanie with his problems. He leaned forward to grab the TV remote. Stephanie sat back, then moved closer to Bobby, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I'm here for you," she whispered. Bobby kissed her head instead of replying. He selected an action film, making Stephanie smile. During the movie, Stephanie fell asleep.
Someone was choking Stephanie. She woke up and tried to scream, but her voice wouldn't work. The pressure against her neck prevented her from talking. Stephanie bucked her hips, attempting to throw the man off her. She managed to free her leg and knee the man in the crotch. Bobby grunted as he suddenly woke up. He quickly released his hands from Stephanie's neck and moved away. "I need to leave," he snapped.
"No," Stephanie gruffly replied. Her voice was thick from sleep. Stephanie grabbed Bobby's hand and pulled him back to the couch. "Stay, Bobby. Please tell me what you were dreaming about."
Bobby sat beside Stephanie. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Bobby sat for a few minutes before looking at Stephanie. "It's not safe for me to be here," he replied.
She shook her head. "I don't believe that, Bobby. You would never hurt me."
He snorted. "I did hurt you, Stephanie." Bobby reached over to touch her neck.
Edna peeked out of the bedroom when she heard the commotion in the living room. She grabbed the phone, ready to call Ranger for help when she heard Stephanie and Bobby talking.
"You didn't mean to hurt me," she replied, letting him off the hook. "Bobby, what's going on in your head?"
"I don't want to talk about it," he replied. Stephanie knew Bobby needed to talk, but she couldn't force the conversation. Bobby needed to work through his issues. She prayed he'd find some type of resolution before he strangled her to death.
Bobby got off the couch and headed toward the door. "Where are you going?" Stephanie asked.
"To get you some ice," he quietly replied. Stephanie stood up to stop him. She was afraid he wouldn't return. "I'll come back. I promise." Stephanie nodded and watched her friend leave the room.
She sat on the couch and cried. Edna left the bedroom to comfort Stephanie. "He needs our help," Edna said. "He's battling a demon from his past.
"I know. Bobby must have suppressed the emotions for too long that it's manifested in his dreams when his guard is down," Stephanie replied.
Edna nodded. "Your grandfather was different after the war," Edna said. "The army changes men. It takes a special breed for the special ops programs. Your Merry Men are a cut above the rest, but they are still vulnerable and susceptible to the changes." Stephanie couldn't agree more. She only prayed she could help Bobby get past the demon causing his nightmare.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ranger rested his forehead against his hand. What was he thinking? Bobby could have killed Stephanie. Should he swap Bobby for another man? "Whatever's going through your head, stop," Tank said. Tank entered Ranger's office without knocking. He was the only man brave enough to enter without announcing his arrival.
"Did I make a poor decision by sending Bobby to New Orleans?" Ranger asked. He sat back to look at his friend. Ranger worried he put Stephanie in harm's way in the quest to help his men.
"No. If anything, Stephanie would help Bobby move past the emotional roadblock." Ranger wasn't sure he agreed. Heck, Ranger wasn't sure Tank believed his own words. "Let them work through it together, Ranger. Stephanie would interpret your interference as mistrust," Tank warned.
"You're right. Stephanie is the only person who could help Bobby," Ranger replied. "I have to get out of here." Ranger stood from his desk. Tank followed his boss and friend from the office to the elevator. He sent a message to Lester, telling him Ranger would collect the files from Vinnie's office.
Ranger climbed into the passenger seat of the Rangeman SUV while Tank drove. He got lost in his thoughts as Tank drove the ten minutes to Vinnie's bail bonds office. Tank groaned when he saw the red SUV parked across the street. "Be prepared to smell sulphur," Tank warned. Ranger checked his surroundings before his eyes settled on the vehicle. He smiled when he thought Stephanie would tease him about not being aware of his surroundings.
"Barnhardt," Ranger groaned. He couldn't stand Joyce Barnhardt. The woman slept her way around Trenton, marrying wealthy men to take half of their assets during their inevitable divorce. Ranger never fell for her charms despite the many times Joyce threw herself at him.
With Barnhardt, anything involving sex was attempted at least once. She was adventurous in the bedroom, but she positioned herself as a human incubator of germs and infections. None of the men employed at Rangeman would touch her with someone else's dick or a ten foot pole.
Ranger entered the bonds office, leaving Tank in the SUV. The cloying scent of Chanel no. 5 filled the office and assaulted Ranger's nostrils. Thumping and moans echoed from behind Vinnie's closed door. "Is he busy?" Ranger asked, pointing at Vinnie's office.
Connie looked at her watch before answering, "Give him two minutes." Ranger nodded, then left the building to give the files to Tank. When Ranger returned, he leaned against the wall. "Did Steph and Edna get to New Orleans in one piece?" Ranger nodded again. Connie rolled her eyes. Would it hurt the man to speak? Ranger raised an eyebrow, wondering how Connie knew Stephanie was in Louisiana. "I heard about Edna's bucket list and her diagnosis from Stephanie. She never said where they were travelling first, but if Edna has a limited lifespan, I assumed they would go to New Orleans for the Mardi Gras."
"Perceptive," Ranger replied. Connie smiled when he spoke. "We're keeping her travel itinerary on the down-low."
"I get that," Connie said. "I imagine Helen's on the warpath." Connie heard Helen had attempted to get Stephanie arrested for kidnapping. It was a ridiculous charge. Connie was surprised Joe Morelli offered to assist. The last rumour she heard was Stephanie permanently ended the relationship with Joe after having unprotected sex. Joe wanted to force Stephanie to get pregnant. Connie was disgusted by his actions.
"She's been asking questions," Ranger confessed. Before he could ask Connie about the Burg gossip, Vinnie's office door opened. Joyce pulled down her skirt, then approached Connie.
"I'm taking all of Stephanie's cases," she announced. Ranger raised an eyebrow. Connie refused to comment. She passed Joyce a few low-bond files. "I don't want the chump change ones, Connie. I want the ones you give to Rangeman."
"Sorry, Joyce. I already gave them to Ranger," Connie replied, pointing to Ranger.
Joyce's head snapped in the direction of Connie's finger. She grinned, then approached Ranger. "Hey there, big guy. Have you tossed away that train wreck for me?" Joyce purred. She ran a finger down Ranger's chest. He grabbed her arm before she reached his crotch. Ranger didn't want his penis to fall off from her touch.
"Back off," Ranger snarled, giving her the "don't fuck with me" look. Joyce looked into his face, then jerked back from him in fear. Ranger looked more dangerous than ever. Joyce was afraid for her life. She grabbed the low-bond files from Connie before running from the office.
Connie bushed the tears of laughter from her eyes. "That was too much fun. We have to do it again," Connie said through laughter.
Ranger approached Vinnie's door. He opened it without waiting for Vinnie to let him inside. "What do you want?" Vinnie demanded. Ranger watched Vinnie sanitize the couch with a cleaner often used in hospitals and daycare centres to prevent the spread of germs. He made a mental note to tell Stephanie.
"Stephanie left town for an indeterminate time frame," Ranger said.
"I can't hold her job," Vinnie replied.
"I'm not asking you to," Ranger said. "Do not call Stephanie and demand her to return home. She needs to focus on Edna, not pacifying your whims."
Ranger leaned over Vinnie, who stepped away until his back hit the wall. "Okay. I won't call Stephanie to guilt her into returning. What happens if Joyce fails at the job?"
"That's your problem, Vinnie. Rangeman could assist, at a price," Ranger replied.
"I'll keep your offer in mind." Ranger left without another word. Vinnie sat in his chair. He retrieved the digital copies of the FTAs he assigned to Joyce. It was time to dust off his inner bounty hunter. Why did he always fall for her charms? With the promise, and delivery of kinky sex, Vinnie let Joyce lead him by the balls. When will he learn?
Lucille would get mad if Vinnie paid Rangeman more for the low-bond skips. He would need to step up to capture the criminals himself. It would pad is already comfortable bank account. Maybe he could finally afford to take Lucille on that vacation to Italy.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lester stared at his phone. Bobby called in a panic, saying he strangled Stephanie. It took several minutes for Bobby to calm down enough to explain what had happened. Lester was relieved Stephanie had no lasting harm, but he was scared for her too. What if Bobby doesn't snap out of the nightmare the next time? Lester needed to talk to Stephanie.
"Hey, Lester," Stephanie replied as she answered the phone.
"Beautiful, how are you?" Lester asked.
Stephanie sighed before answering, "I'm fine, Les. Bobby didn't mean to hurt me."
"He feels horrible," Lester said.
"I know he does. Bobby can't stop apologizing. Lester, do you know anything about his nightmares?"
"Yes, but it's not my story to tell," Lester replied. "Bobby will tell you when it's time. Please, be careful and be patient."
Stephanie and Lester talked for a few more minutes before Stephanie said she had to go. They ordered room service, and someone had just knocked on the door.
~~~~~~~~~~
Bobby pulled the food cart into the hotel suite. Edna grabbed the towel from Stephanie and tossed the ice into the sink. "It doesn't look too bad now, Bobby," Edna said. She tapped Bobby's shoulder as she walked past him. "Stephie's made of stronger stuff. Talk to her. I know she can help with whatever invades your sleep."
"I don't want to burden Stephanie with my woes," Bobby quietly replied. "Where is she?"
"In the washroom," Edna replied when she heard the toilet flush. "Give her a chance to help." Bobby nodded, but he never made any promises. Edna sat at the table to eat her dinner. She didn't have much of an appetite.
"Something smells amazing," Stephanie said when she sat beside Edna. She lifted the cover off her plate. Stephanie had ordered jambalaya. The scent of the rice, sausage, chicken and spicy sauce caused her mouth to water. "Ella said I had to try jambalaya. What did you order, grandma?"
"Muffaletta," she replied. Stephanie looked at the round sesame-seed roll with ham, salami, provolone, and diced olives made into a dressing. The sandwich was huge. Stephanie knew her grandma couldn't eat that much food. Edna placed a quarter of the sandwich on Stephanie's plate for her to try. Stephanie cut it in half, then gave a piece to Bobby. She ate the other part and moaned.
"It's really good," Stephanie said. "Do you want to try a bite of mine?"
"It smells spicy. I don't do well with hot peppers," Edna replied. Stephanie shrugged. It was more food for her.
Bobby uncovered his plate. He ordered gumbo. "Mine has extra heat," Bobby announced.
Stephanie leaned over to scoop a bite. "Oh my gosh. I'm ordering that tomorrow night." Bobby smiled and stole a bit of the jambalaya. He promised to order it the following day.
They visited the New Orleans city park on their third day. Bobby rented a wheelchair in case Edna got tired from walking. He didn't want to cut their trip through the park short. Stephanie and Bobby took turns pushing the empty wheelchair until Edna sat on it.
When they got to the statue of a naked man, Edna hooted with joy. "His head is a little small," she crooned. "And I'm not talking about the one on his shoulders."
Stephanie felt her face flush beet red. "Grandma," she groaned when other park visitors laughed. Edna snapped a bunch of photos of the statue. Before she could send them to her friends, Bobby warned Edna that Helen or Morelli would use them to track them to New Orleans. "Grandma, you can send them when we board the plane."
"Okay, baby granddaughter. I'll wait until it's safe. We don't want Helen and Joe ruining our vacation," Edna said. She patted Stephanie's hand, then asked Bobby to move to the next statue. Stephanie and Edna enjoyed making up stories about why the artists created their works of art. "What about the turtle?"
"It's a reminder to tell people to slow down," Stephanie replied. She watched as another turtle approached the statue. "Oh my gosh. It's so cute. He thinks it's real." Stephanie pointed to the tortoise as it climbed onto the fake one. A pitchy screech rented through the air. Stephanie didn't know turtles made noises.
Bobby pushed Edna's wheelchair away before she could record the turtle. Stephanie couldn't stop laughing. Bobby had prevented Edna from getting a video, but he couldn't stop Stephanie. Once they got away from the statue, Stephanie sent the recording to Lester, knowing he'd find it hilarious. "Did you get it?" Edna asked Stephanie.
"You bet I did," she replied, laughing. "That was too funny."
Lester called Stephanie after viewing the video. He quickly sent the attachment to everyone else in Rangeman Trenton. "What the heck was that?" Lester asked. Stephanie put the phone on speaker for Bobby and her grandmother to hear.
"What did it look like?"
"It looked like a real turtle humping a stone one," Lester replied. Edna cackled before telling Lester it was exactly what he saw.
Ranger heard Stephanie's voice over Lester's phone and decided to listen to the conversation. Lester grinned and said, "Say hi to everyone, Beautiful."
"Hey, guys," Stephanie said. "Did everyone see the video?" Stephanie heard the others laugh in the background.
"Affirmative," Lester replied.
Ranger watched the video, then grinned. "Only you, Babe," he replied.
"Hi, Batman. I'll call you soon, okay?" Stephanie promised.
"I'm looking forward to it," Ranger replied. He missed Stephanie more than ever. Stephanie talked to Lester for another minute before ending the call. They found another statue that Edna wanted to observe closer.
Later that evening, after Bobby and Edna went to bed, Stephanie called Ranger as promised. Trenton was only an hour ahead of New Orleans, so she knew Ranger was still awake. She sat on the couch, cuddled inside a light blanket as they talked. Stephanie described the other statues they saw in great detail before she heard Bobby screaming in his room. "Babe, stay on the line. Carefully approach Bobby. Flick the light on and off ten times before going near him."
Stephanie followed his instructions. "Now, what do I do?" she quietly asked Ranger.
"He has a sedative in his duffle. It should be in the syringe with the yellow tape," Ranger said. Stephanie slowly unzipped the bag to find the medication. "Only give it to him if he can't break from the nightmare. Quietly talk to him. Let Bobby know he's safe. Say where he is and your name. Every minute detail will pull him from the dream."
She didn't want to approach Bobby after the night he choked her. Fear passed through her body, making her shudder, but Stephanie knew it was important to help her friend. "Bobby, you're safe," she said as she walked closer to him. She placed her phone on the dresser and put it on speaker. "It's me, Stephanie."
Bobby stopped flailing his arms and legs. "That's right, Bobby. You're safe in New Orleans with Stephanie and Edna," Stephanie calmly said. Her hand was remarkably steady even though her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. "Wake up, Bobby. It's just a dream."
"What? Stephanie?" Bobby mumbled as he slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey, Bobby. It's Stephanie," she repeated. "You're safe." Ranger listened as Stephanie quietly talked to Bobby, calming him from the nightmare. "Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.
"Not really, but I probably should," Bobby said, sitting up. Stephanie put the syringe on the nightstand. She was relieved that she didn't have to sedate her friend.
"Proud of you, Babe," they heard Ranger say from Stephanie's phone. Ranger disconnected the call, leaving Stephanie to help Bobby.
